Mobile filing unit

ABSTRACT

A mobile filing unit includes a housing, two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside the housing near the top, two sliding rails respectively slidably coupled to the tracks, a face panel connected between the sliding rails and movable with the sliding rails in and out of the tracks to close/open the housing, and a hanging rack formed of four rod members in the shape of a rectangular open frame and mounted inside the housing below the tracks for the hanging of hanging files.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to office furniture and, more specifically, to a mobile filing unit.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional drawer cabinet, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises three drawers arranged at different elevations. The bottom drawer is relatively bigger. The other two drawers are relatively smaller. The large bottom drawer can be used to hold file holders or hanging files of A4 size (about 21×29 cm). For keeping files greater than this size, different filing racks or cabinets shall be used. Arranging different types and sizes of filing racks and cabinets in the office may obstruct the sense of beauty of the office.

Further, modern business administration has become electronicized. Different data storage disks may be used in offices to store electronic files. Conventional filing racks and filing cabinets are simply designed for keeping paper files, not practical for keeping electronic file storage media. For keeping electronic file storage media, different storage racks or cabinets shall be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a mobile filing unit, which is practical for the mounting of different sizes of hanging racks for holding different sizes of hanging files. It is another object of the present invention to provide a mobile filing unit, which provides a hanging rack and a storage box for holding paper files as well as electronic files for quick searching.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the mobile filing unit comprises a housing, said housing having a top open side; two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside said housing near said top open side; two sliding rails respectively coupled to said tracks and longitudinally movable relative to said tracks; a face panel connected between said sliding rails and movable with said sliding rails in and out of said tracks to close/open said top open side of said housing; a hanging rack mounted inside said housing below said tracks for the hanging of hanging files, said hanging rack comprising two first rod members arranged in parallel and two second rod members connected in parallel between said first rod members; and a storage box mounted inside said housing, said storage box having a plurality of top hooks for hanging on the second rod members of said hanging rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the outer appearance of a conventional drawer cabinet.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a mobile filing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an assembly view of FIG. 2 before installation of the face panel.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken in an enlarged scale along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates one status of use of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates another status of use of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates still another status of use of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of an alternate form of the mobile filing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a status of use of the mobile filing unit shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1˜5, a mobile filing unit in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a housing 10, two tracks 20 and 21, a face panel 30, and a hanging rack 40.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the housing 10 is a wheeled rectangular container, comprising four uprights 111˜114 vertically disposed in four corners, two sets of horizontal rod members 121˜124 (each set of horizontal rod members 121˜124 including two short rod members 121 and 123 and two long rod members 122 and 124) respectively connected to top and bottom ends of the four uprights 111˜114 to join the uprights 111˜114 and to hold the uprights 111˜114 in parallel, four peripheral panels 131˜134 respectively connected between each two of the uprights 111˜114 at four sides in vertical and stopped between the two sets of horizontal rod members 121˜124, a bottom panel (not shown) surrounded by the peripheral panels 131˜134, and two reinforcing bars 15 respectively horizontally fastened to two opposite peripheral panels 132 and 134 at an inner side to support the peripheral panels 132 and 134 against deformation.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 again, the tracks 20 and 21 are respectively affixed to the two long rod members 122 and 124 of the top set of horizontal rod members 121˜124 at an inner side with screws 22, each comprising a sliding rail 23 or 24. The sliding rail 23 or 24 can be moved in and out of the track 20 or 21, having two lugs 231 or 241 disposed near two distal ends. Stop means (not shown) is provided to stop the sliding rail 23 or 24 from falling out of the track 20 or 21. Because such stop means is of the known art, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary.

Referring to FIGS. 2˜4, the face panel 30 is a rectangular plate member comprising a plurality of locating blocks 31 respectively symmetrically disposed at the bottom side adjacent to the two opposite long sides corresponding to the lugs 231 and 241 of the sliding rails 23 and 24. The locating blocks 31 each have a screw hole 32. Screws 33 are respectively threaded into respective nuts 34 and the screw hole 32 in each locating block 31 to affix the lugs 231 and 241 of the sliding rails 23 and 24 to the face panel 30 at two sides, for enabling the face panel 30 to be moved with the sliding rails 23 and 24 in and out of the tracks 20 and 21 between two positions to close/open the top open side of the housing 10 (see also FIGS. 5 and 6).

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the hanging rack 40 is a rectangular open frame comprising two transverse rod members 41 and 43, two longitudinal rod members 42 and 44 connected between the transverse rod members 41 and 43, four mounting rings 45 respectively provided at the ends of the transverse rod members 41 and 43 and respectively fastened to the two long rod members 122 and 124 of the top set of horizontal rod members 121˜124 at the bottom side to hold the hanging rack 40 inside the housing 10 near the top open side of the housing 10.

Referring to FIGS. 5˜7, when using the mobile filing unit, the user can push the face panel 30 to open/close the housing 10. When sliding rails 23 and 24 moved with the face panel 30 out of the tracks 20 and 21 to the extent, they are stopped in position by the aforesaid stop means, and therefore the sliding rails 23 and 24 and the face panel 30 do not fall out of the tracks 20 and 21 and the housing 10. When opened the face panel 30, the user can hang at least two different sizes of hanging files (file holders) 50 and 51 on the hanging rack 40. The distance between the two transverse rod members 41 and 43 and the distance between the two longitudinal rod members 42 and 44 are determined subject to different requirements during fabrication. The embodiment shown in the drawings is just for understanding of the invention, and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternate form of the mobile filing unit. According to this embodiment, a storage box 60 is mounted inside the housing 10. The storage box 60 has top hooks 61 for handing on the longitudinal rod members 42 and 44 of the hanging rack 40, and a plurality of ribs 62 symmetrically bilaterally disposed on the inside. The ribs 62 divide the internal space of the storage box 60 into a plurality of compartments for holding, for example, CD boxes.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 again, the storage box 60 and the hanging rack 40 are provided inside the housing 10 to hold mobile data storage media and different sizes of hanging files (file holders) 50 and 51. Therefore, the user can manage paper files as well as electronic files efficiently. Further, the hanging rack 40 and the storage box 60 can be made to provide different storage spaces for holding different kinds and different sizes of files.

A prototype of mobile filing unit has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 2˜9. The mobile filing unit functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

1. A mobile filing unit comprising a housing, said housing having a top open side; two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside said housing near said top open side; two sliding rails respectively coupled to said tracks and longitudinally movable relative to said tracks; a face panel connected between said sliding rails and movable with said sliding rails in and out of said tracks to close/open said top open side of said housing; and a hanging rack mounted inside said housing below said tracks for the hanging of hanging files, said hanging rack comprising two first rod members arranged in parallel and two second rod members connected in parallel between said first rod members.
 2. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding rails each comprise two lugs near two distal ends thereof; said face panel comprises a plurality of locating blocks bilaterally symmetrically disposed at a bottom side thereof and respectively fastened to the lugs of said sliding rails with screws.
 3. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first rod members of said hanging rack each have two distal ends respectively provided with a respective mounting ring for fastening to said housing.
 4. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a storage box mounted inside said housing, said storage box having a plurality of top hooks for hanging on the second rod members of said hanging rack.
 5. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said storage box has a plurality of ribs symmetrically bilaterally disposed on the inside, said ribs dividing the holding space of said storage box into a plurality of compartments.
 6. A mobile filing unit comprising: a housing, said housing having a top open side; two tracks horizontally bilaterally mounted inside said housing near said top open side; two sliding rails respectively coupled to said tracks and longitudinally movable relative to said tracks; a face panel connected between said sliding rails and movable with said sliding rails in and out of said tracks to close/open said top open side of said housing; a hanging rack mounted inside said housing below said tracks for the hanging of hanging files, said hanging rack comprising two first rod members arranged in parallel and two second rod members connected in parallel between said first rod members; and a storage box mounted inside said housing, said storage box having a plurality of top hooks for hanging on the second rod members of said hanging rack.
 7. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sliding rails each comprise two lugs near two distal ends thereof; said face panel comprises a plurality of locating blocks bilaterally symmetrically disposed at a bottom side thereof and respectively fastened to the lugs of said sliding rails with screws.
 8. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first rod members of said hanging rack each have two distal ends respectively provided with a respective mounting ring for fastening to said housing.
 9. The mobile filing unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said storage box has a plurality of ribs symmetrically bilaterally disposed on the inside, said ribs dividing the holding space of said storage box into a plurality of compartments. 